Emergency Preparedness
How to disinfect
a small amount of water
During a boil water advisory, you can
• boil the water
• use bottled water
• disinfect water using chlorine bleach
• disinfect water using tablets
Disinfect using chlorine bleach
• Use bleach that is unscented.
• Make sure that it is 4% to 6% chlorine.
• Add drops of bleach to litres or gallons of water
in quantities as shown in table below.
Quantity
No. of Drops
1 Litre
2 Litres
3 Litres
4 Litres
1 gallon
2 gallons
3 gallons
4 gallons
5 gallons
2
4
6
8
8
16
24
32
40
Teaspoons
1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon
5/8 teaspoon
• Stir the mixture well.
• Cover the mixture with a paper towel or set the lid on loosely.
• Let the mixture stand in a cooler or refrigerator for about
8 hours. This gives the bleach enough time to clean the
water and evaporate before you use it.
Disinfect using tablets to purify water
• Buy these tablets at a drug store or a store that sells
camping equipment.
• Follow the directions on the label.
Making sure
you have
Safe Water
in an
Emergency
You may not be able to
use your water in an emergency.
A hurricane, flood, or other disaster
can contaminate water with bacteria,
chemicals, or other things
that can make you sick.
Visit our website at
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/drinking.water.asp
or call your local Environment office at
1-877-9ENVIRO (1-877-936-8476)
2012
To be prepared,
set aside enough water
to last for 3 days.
How much water do I need for 3 days?
For drinking
Have at least 2 litres for each person for each day for
drinking; making formula, juice, or ice cubes; washing fruit
or vegetables; and brushing your teeth.
How do I know when my water
is safe if it comes from a
municipal water supply?
Total water required:
4 litres x # people x 3 days = # litres of water required
Listen to local radio and TV stations.
Your municipality will announce
• when the water is safe for drinking
• if you need to boil the water to make it safe for drinking
and how long to boil it
• if you can use the water for washing and cleaning
but not drinking
• if you need to use bottled water
Store some of this water in small bottles to carry with you if
you need to evacuate your home. You may need additional
water if you have pets.
How do I know when my water is
safe if it comes from a private well?
What if my tap water
is not safe to use?
After any disaster, you will need to have your water tested
before you use it for drinking; making formula, juice or ice
cubes; washing fruit or vegetables; brushing your teeth; or
cooking with it.
If your tap water is not safe to use, you will need to boil the
water or use bottled water for drinking; making formula,
juice or ice cubes; washing fruit or vegetables; brushing
your teeth; or cooking with it.
If the water test shows that you need to disinfect your water,
follow the process referred to at
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/privatewells.asp
Drinking water required:
2 litres x # people x 3 days = # litres of drinking water
For cooking, washing yourself, and cleaning:
Have at least 2 more litres for each person for each day.
If you do not have access to boiled or bottled water, you
can disinfect small amounts of water by following the
instructions on the back of this brochure.
For more information on what to do during
a boil water advisory, check these webpages
For households
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/docs/Boilwater-Factsheet.pdf
For places that need to take special care with their water,
such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes,
food production facilities, and convenience stores
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/docs/
FactSheet-BoilAdvisoryPrecautions.pdf
For more information on private wells, including
• how to make sure your well water is safe
• how to disinfect your well
• how to construct a safe well
• how to read the results of a water test
• a list of labs where you can get your water tested
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/privatewells.asp
or call your local Environment office at
1-877-9ENVIRO (1-877-936-8476)
Surface water is not for drinking
Surface water includes water from lakes, streams, rivers,
ponds, and springs. Do NOT drink this water unless it has
been properly filtered and disinfected. The only way to be
sure it is safe is to test it.
For more information, check this webpage
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/surface.water/docs/
SurfaceWaterQA.pdf
How much water do I need for 3 days?
For drinking
Have at least 2 litres for each person for each day for
drinking; making formula, juice, or ice cubes; washing fruit
or vegetables; and brushing your teeth.
How do I know when my water
is safe if it comes from a
municipal water supply?
Total water required:
4 litres x # people x 3 days = # litres of water required
Listen to local radio and TV stations.
Your municipality will announce
• when the water is safe for drinking
• if you need to boil the water to make it safe for drinking
and how long to boil it
• if you can use the water for washing and cleaning
but not drinking
• if you need to use bottled water
Store some of this water in small bottles to carry with you if
you need to evacuate your home. You may need additional
water if you have pets.
How do I know when my water is
safe if it comes from a private well?
What if my tap water
is not safe to use?
After any disaster, you will need to have your water tested
before you use it for drinking; making formula, juice or ice
cubes; washing fruit or vegetables; brushing your teeth; or
cooking with it.
If your tap water is not safe to use, you will need to boil the
water or use bottled water for drinking; making formula,
juice or ice cubes; washing fruit or vegetables; brushing
your teeth; or cooking with it.
If the water test shows that you need to disinfect your water,
follow the process referred to at
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/privatewells.asp
Drinking water required:
2 litres x # people x 3 days = # litres of drinking water
For cooking, washing yourself, and cleaning:
Have at least 2 more litres for each person for each day.
If you do not have access to boiled or bottled water, you
can disinfect small amounts of water by following the
instructions on the back of this brochure.
For more information on what to do during
a boil water advisory, check these webpages
For households
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/docs/Boilwater-Factsheet.pdf
For places that need to take special care with their water,
such as restaurants, hotels, hospitals, nursing homes,
food production facilities, and convenience stores
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/docs/
FactSheet-BoilAdvisoryPrecautions.pdf
For more information on private wells, including
• how to make sure your well water is safe
• how to disinfect your well
• how to construct a safe well
• how to read the results of a water test
• a list of labs where you can get your water tested
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/privatewells.asp
or call your local Environment office at
1-877-9ENVIRO (1-877-936-8476)
Surface water is not for drinking
Surface water includes water from lakes, streams, rivers,
ponds, and springs. Do NOT drink this water unless it has
been properly filtered and disinfected. The only way to be
sure it is safe is to test it.
For more information, check this webpage
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/surface.water/docs/
SurfaceWaterQA.pdf
Emergency Preparedness
How to disinfect
a small amount of water
During a boil water advisory, you can
• boil the water
• use bottled water
• disinfect water using chlorine bleach
• disinfect water using tablets
Disinfect using chlorine bleach
• Use bleach that is unscented.
• Make sure that it is 4% to 6% chlorine.
• Add drops of bleach to litres or gallons of water
in quantities as shown in table below.
Quantity
No. of Drops
1 Litre
2 Litres
3 Litres
4 Litres
1 gallon
2 gallons
3 gallons
4 gallons
5 gallons
2
4
6
8
8
16
24
32
40
Teaspoons
1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon
1/4 teaspoon
3/4 teaspoon
1/2 teaspoon
5/8 teaspoon
• Stir the mixture well.
• Cover the mixture with a paper towel or set the lid on loosely.
• Let the mixture stand in a cooler or refrigerator for about
8 hours. This gives the bleach enough time to clean the
water and evaporate before you use it.
Disinfect using tablets to purify water
• Buy these tablets at a drug store or a store that sells
camping equipment.
• Follow the directions on the label.
Making sure
you have
Safe Water
in an
Emergency
You may not be able to
use your water in an emergency.
A hurricane, flood, or other disaster
can contaminate water with bacteria,
chemicals, or other things
that can make you sick.
Visit our website at
www.gov.ns.ca/nse/water/drinking.water.asp
or call your local Environment office at
1-877-9ENVIRO (1-877-936-8476)
2012
To be prepared,
set aside enough water
to last for 3 days.